The Apprentice
by Dan Ruffolo
Summary: The first in a ongoing series about Devonin the Magician, revamped from its earlier form. Please review so I know what is liked and disliked about it for later stories


"The city is so large, father," I exclaimed, looking around at the myriad sights of Waterdeep, far more splendiferous than anything I had seen at home. My eyes widened as I took in the sights, sounds and smells of this large port city. I had never before seen a place so large, with so many people, not to mention the fact that this was one of my first true encounters with races other than humans. I had seen a few elves and halflings who had come to trade with us, and sell us their goods, but I had never before seen so many centred in one place. As I gazed around in some degree of slack-jawed wonder, my father, who had visited the city many times and knew the place well, grabbed me by the arm and began to haul me through the streets.  
  
"Now you listen here Devonin my boy," began my father roughly as he pulled me by the arm, "If you want to become a mage, you have to start acting like one, now stop gawking like a farm boy and hurry along, we have to meet with Lord Cedric by high-sun." This had always been my father's way, he was never one to mince words, and he was known for getting into trouble by calling things as he saw them. Nevertheless, I obediently fell into step with my father, and soon we were standing outside a small tower just inside the perimeter of the North Ward. My father reached for the ornate knocker on the door and the door swung open, seemingly of it's own violation. My father's face was crossed in a look of discomfort at this use of magic. I'm sure you can relate, seeing as how few times houses have doors that open on their own, and for a farmer who was barely a member of nobility, I'm surprised he didn't run from the house then and there. Despite his unease, he nervously ushered me inside, and moved away from the door, as though expecting it to swing shut the moment he entered. As we stood with the door gaping open into the street behind us, my gaze slowly took in the room around me, and slowly but surely, my jaw dropped and my eyes widened. The room was not much larger than the standard foyer of any small tower, no more than twenty feet in diameter, but the furnishings and blandishments awed the mind. Vivid tapestries that portrayed fabulous scenes of dragons and knights adorned the walls. Several shelves were filled with vials and potions, and a rack on the wall held several wands and staves. So intent was I upon the wonders of the room that I failed to not be startled when a voice intruded on my thoughts. It appeared that the Lord Cedric kept a punctual schedule.  
  
"The door only opens by itself, good sir, it does not close the same way." These  
  
were the first words, words dripping with sarcasm, that I heard from the man who was to be my master and tutor, and occasionally, though the instances were rare, my friend. But we had yet to meet at this point, and so I was firm in my belief that my father would not countenance such a condescending attitude. I was wrong.  
  
My father seemed to jump at the sound of Cedric's voice, and upon receiving this  
  
new bit of information, recoiled like a wounded puppy. Jumping towards the door, my father hastily pulled it closed and turned back to Cedric.  
  
"My apologies good sir, I meant no disrespect, but I am ignorant in the ways of  
  
magic, please forgive me." Cedric seemed to ignore my father's presence as soon as he closed the door, and instead began to look directly at me. After a few moments of this, he looked towards my father, almost looking surprised to see that there was another person in the room.  
  
"You are Lord Beldoran?" inquired the mage.  
  
"I am sir, and this is my son Devonin, we believe he has a talent for the magical  
  
arts."  
  
"I shall be the judge of that my good man, now if you wish him to study with me,  
  
he shall have to board in the tower, I will require some degree of payment for his room and board, five pieces of gold per month should be more than enough, for he shall soon find other ways to earn his keep. Once he truly joins the ranks of the magical, he shall be of use in other ways, and will no longer have to pay for the privilege of living here. Are these terms acceptable to you?"  
  
"Well, yes sir, I assumed that there would be an additional charge for his lessons,  
  
I had expected to pay more, you are most generous."  
  
Cedric glared daggers at my Father, he retorted sharply, "magic is not something to be bought or sold by the wealthy, if the boy has ability, he will work to pay for his lessons, if he does not have ability, I wouldn't train him for all the gold in the realms. Now, if we have an agreement, please step outside, I wish to have a word alone with the boy." As my father stepped outside, glancing nervously at the knocker on the door as he went, I swear that to this day, I have never seen him look so relieved. Now that my father had left the room, I turned my attention to Cedric. The man looked to be about forty winters old, though I now believe him to have been at least seventy at the time, for I later discovered that he made much use of the magical arts to keep himself healthy. He was wearing a simple red robe, devoid of any ornament save a plain gold ring on his left hand, and an amulet, which hung beneath his robe. His face was worn, and the set of his shoulders bespoke someone who had seen many things, several of which should not have been seen with mortal eyes. But it was those eyes that were the most noticeable thing about him, they almost seemed to glow with untapped power, and I had to suppress a shudder at the thought of the things they had witnessed. He continued his staring, as he looked at me, and after yet another moment of this, he spoke.  
  
"So your family decided they wanted to try to train some magic into the family,  
  
did they?" There was a definite sneer in his tone as he said this, and I began to get the idea that maybe Lord Cedric wasn't such a nice fellow.  
  
"Well there is that sir." I responded weakly, "there is that, but I do want to learn,  
  
I've always been fascinated by magic." This was true, although, as Cedric said immediately following that foolish utterance of mine, I had never really seen true magic.  
  
"Tell me then, boy, when have you seen the work of a magician such as myself?  
  
At the town fair, pulling coins out of people ears and making assistants disappear?" I moved as if to speak, but then I caught myself, I felt I could not respond to that without getting in trouble, so I let him continue. "That is not magic, that is simple sleight-of-hand such as any common thief learns before they can even speak, that is not even a simple cantrip, one of the little bits of prestidigitation that is taught to any aspiring mage. Those things are parlour tricks, not worthy of the attention of a true mage." Now, even though I was a smart lad, words like cantrip and prestidigitation were totally lost on me, but I understood the gist of the message, I had to leave my old life behind, and I was more than prepared, even at the age of six, to do just that.  
  
"Well, sir," I began, but I was cut off in mid-statement  
  
"If you wish to become my apprentice, you shall address me as Master Cedric, or,  
  
as it will allow you to respond faster to my commands simply Master will suffice."  
  
"I apologise Master, I am new to apprenticeship, but I am eager to learn to truth  
  
of magic." In this I was speaking the honest truth, but I had neglected to remember one small fact, a fact of which Master Cedric was all to eager to remind me.  
  
"I imagine you think I shall begin teaching you spells and enchantments before  
  
the month is out, don't you." I didn't respond to this because that was exactly what I thought. Cedric continued, "well you couldn't be farther from the truth, you shall begin your apprenticeship as my servant, carrying things, sorting spell components and such, then after a few years I may begin to school you in magic history, and maybe by the time you are twelve, I will show you your first cantrip. You will cast your first true spell no sooner than your fifteenth winter, more than likely, you will be approaching your sixteenth, magic is a long difficult process to master. Now tell me, do you still wish to become my apprentice?"  
  
"Yes master, I do. I am prepared to work as long and hard as you require me to."  
  
I was beginning to get an idea of just how intelligent and observant Master Cedric really was, for that was the only reservation I had about apprenticing. Now that it was out of the way, I was ready to devote my life to study.  
  
"That is good my apprentice." Began Cedric, and my heart lifted when I heard  
  
him address me as such. "Now let us fetch your father and tell him the news. My father was very pleased that I had been accepted as Master Cedric's apprentice, and after a few short goodbyes I was left in the care of my new master Cedric the Arcane. My journey into the realms of magic had begun. 


End file.
